


Responsibilities…

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-24
Updated: 2006-03-25
Packaged: 2018-08-15 22:42:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8075686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Trip faces the concequences of his actions in Civilization.   Missing Scene.





	1. Creative Avoidance

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: This is my first attempt at Enterprise fanfic, or indeed any story using established characters from someone elseâ€™s universe. Flashback sequences are in italics.

Beta'd by **MisterB**  


* * *

Part 1 - Creative Avoidance

Trip Tucker sat in his Engineering office, thinking over the events of the day. Ostensibly he had gone to Engineering to check how the repairs were coming along and to catch up on some reports, but he had soon become distracted by his thoughts, and now, his duty shift long finished, he still remained.

He had escaped down there after Enterprise had resumed its journey, leaving the Minshara-class planet and its unknowing pre-industrial civilisation far behind. Well, almost unknowing. One Akaali knew what had been going on, but thanks to Enterpriseâ€™s help, she would now be the one helping the people of her city to heal.

It wasnâ€™t Riann or Archerâ€™s actions that occupied his mind now though, but his own, on the bridge of the Enterprise after they had been warned - under fire from the Malurianâ€™s - to leave the system, and falsely told that their captain was dead.

* * *

_"Prepare to leave orbit on my order."_

_"Belay that!" Trip came to his feet in disbelief at what Tâ€™Pol had just said. "Keep this ship right where it is!"_

_Travis hesitated and glanced at him, unsure briefly of which set of orders to follow. Tâ€™Pol and Trip locked glares across the bridge._

_"I donâ€™t have to reiterate that I outrank you Mister Tucker. Ensignâ€¦"_

_Her meaning in that one word was clear, and Travis again complied. Trip however had no intention of backing down. He angrily opened the comlink to Engineering._

_"Engineering."_

_"Billy, stand by to vent the nacelles. On my order."_

_"Yes sir."_

_The response was immediate, unquestioning, and exactly what Trip expected of the crewman. His team trusted him, even if they didnâ€™t know what was going on. Trip was aware that everyone on the bridge was looking at him now. Apprehension visible on some of the faces; confusion and disbelief on others. Conflict between senior officers was never a good thing, but on the bridge, in the middle of a combat situation, the consequences could be disastrous. Trip couldnâ€™t let Tâ€™Polâ€™s actions stand; he wouldnâ€™t abandon his friend on the planet._

_"Weâ€™re not going anywhere!"_

_"I didnâ€™t say leave orbit. I said prepare to leave orbit. I have no intention of abandoning the Captain, dead or alive."_

_Tâ€™Pol gave him a penetrating glare and Trip became uncomfortably aware of his mistake. Unsure of what to say, and with apology in his eyes, he simply nodded tersely and backed down._

* * *

' _What was I thinking?_ ' Trip mused, as his actions once again replayed in his mind. Sure, he had thought that Tâ€™Pol intended leaving the Captain on the planet and running; but that wasnâ€™t an explanation that would carry a lot of weight if he were called to account for his actions. Tâ€™Pol had been in command and it had been his job to follow her orders, just as his colleagues had.

And Trip had no doubt that he would have to account for himself. The incident had been witnessed by the entire bridge crew, and partly overheard in Engineering, thanks to him opening the comlink. Even if Tâ€™Pol didnâ€™t mention it in her report - which was highly unlikely - the wheels of Enterpriseâ€™s rumour mill would already be in motion. It would only be a matter of time before it came to Captain Archerâ€™s attention.

Trip had figured he had a little time. Archer would need to have the prosthetics removed from his face and to get cleaned up before he started reading any of the reports of what had happened whilst he was on the planetâ€™s surface. Tâ€™Pol would need time to prepare such a report. If he was being honest, Trip knew that it probably wouldnâ€™t have hurt the situation if he were to write a report himself, but for the last several hours he had been engaged in the art of 'creative avoidance'.

The answer to his actions still eluded him. No matter how hard he looked at the problem, he still came to the same inescapable conclusion. She was in command, and through a combination of lack of trust, concern for his friend, and his own natural impulsiveness, he had acted on his conclusions before he had all the facts.

"Archer to Commander Tucker."

The sound of the comlink broke through his thoughts and Trip tensed. This was it he guessed. He reached across his desk and activated the comlink.

"Tucker here."

"Commander. My Ready Room. 5 Minutes." 

That was it. Abrupt. No reason given. Trip considered briefly asking what it was about, but he was fully aware that he already knew. The formality and the stern tone in Archerâ€™s voice had told him everything he needed to know. And, he realised, Archer was aware of that as well.

"Aye sir," he said simply, before deactivating the comlink.

Apprehension flickered through Tripâ€™s mind as he entertained the possibility that this meeting would not go well. Archer was his friend, but he was also his Captain. Trip had openly defied his superior officer on the bridge, and attempted to countermand her orders. It was Archerâ€™s job to deal with him, and despite their long friendship, Trip knew that Archer wouldnâ€™t allow it to intervene in this situation.

Forcing himself to put aside his concerns, Trip left Engineering and made his way to the Captainâ€™s ready room.


	2. Back To Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Two runs in roughly the same time frame as Part One, and ends at the same point, but from Captain Archer's perspective.

  
Author's notes: Part Two runs in roughly the same time frame as Part One, and ends at the same point, but from Captain Archer's perspective.  


* * *

Part Two - Back To Reality

_"Where is your starship headed now?" Riann asked, as he stood there with his cloak, seemingly reluctant to leave._

_"There are lots of inhabited planets to see. But I doubt many will be thisâ€¦ memorable."_

_They were flirting with each other, no doubt about it now. He moved in closer to her, his pulse quickening as he anticipated what was about to happen. What he wanted to happen. When he kissed her, she responded. He felt good as he pulled her close to him._

_"Is your translator broken again?" She asked when they broke the kiss._

_"Iâ€™m sorry. I donâ€™t understand a word youâ€™re saying." He answered her playfully, before their lips came together againâ€¦_

* * *

Jonathan Archer luxuriated in the warmth of the memory. He had been reluctant to leave Riann, and she would have been happy for him to stay, but they both knew that wasnâ€™t possible. So he had returned to Enterprise, which was now travelling away from her world at warp speed along its scheduled course. The prosthetics had been removed, he had showered and eaten, and was dressed in more comfortable attire. But the memory of that woman, her kiss, and the time they spent together, still made him feel good, even as the warp engines put the distance between them.

Archer relaxed in his quarters, lounging on his bunk and fussing Porthos, as he savoured the memory of that increasingly distant kiss. Idly, he picked up a PADD and began to read. The report was signed by Tâ€™Pol, Archer noted. The Sub-Commander was as thorough as always in her account of what had happened on the ship in his absence. He expected nothing else, and had become accustomed by her no nonsense style.

Slowly, the relaxed feeling faded away, to be replaced by a creeping feeling of anger and disbelief. He stopped fussing Porthos, moving the dog to the floor, as rose to a seated position on his bunk. He read the report again. The beagle whined at his master, trying to get his attention, but Archerâ€™s attention was now focussed fully on trying to make sense of what he was reading.

He shook his head, and allowed himself a sigh of resigned annoyance, before he redressed in his uniform and summoned Tâ€™Pol to his ready room, leaving a confused Porthos alone as he left his quarters behind.

* * *

An hour later, as Tâ€™Pol left his ready room, Archer wasnâ€™t feeling that much better. He had asked the Sub-Commander to go through her report with him, not wanting to take the risk that he had misunderstood any part of it. This was too important. 

Unfortunately, it appeared he hadnâ€™t misinterpreted any of her report, and by the time Tâ€™Pol pointed out that such and incident would never have occurred on a Vulcan vessel, Archer wasnâ€™t even sure in which direction his annoyance and disbelief should be focussed any more. To make matters worse, he had developed a massive headache, brought on by a combination of frustration and tiredness.

Archer briefly considered going to sickbay, to see if Doctor Phlox could give him something for the headache, then decided against it. Before that, he had other matters to attend to. He took a moment to focus his thoughts and then activated the comlink.

"Archer to Commander Tucker" 

"Tucker here," came the response a moment later. 

Trip sounded tense, and that tipped Archer off to his Chief Engineerâ€™s apprehension. ' _Good_ ', thought Archer, as he put the full weight of his command voice behind his order.

"Commander. My Ready Room. 5 Minutes." 

There was a momentâ€™s hesitation before Tripâ€™s "Aye sir," came through and the comlink was terminated.

As Archer sat waiting in his ready room for the Commander to arrive, he sternly reminded himself that Trip was his subordinate, as well as his friend, and that he was angry with the Commander for his actions. He had enough trouble integrating Tâ€™Pol into his crew as it was, without his senior officers squabbling like children in full view of his bridge crew.


	3. Responsibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to MisterB for advice on "Archer-speak"

  
Author's notes: Thanks to MisterB for advice on "Archer-speak"  
  
This has been the most difficult chapter to write, simply because I could find no point of reference in Season One for Archer dealing with anything like this. So I looked at him overall, and came to the conclusion that he can get angry when he needs to, and that he tries to deal with things on level relating to what has happened, even if he doesn't always get it right. Also, I noticed that often when Archer is making a point to someone, he is making it to himself as well. So, throwing all this into the mix, I came up with this...  


* * *

Part Three - Responsibilities

It was less than five minutes later when a rather nervous and tense looking Chief Engineer arrived in the doorway of Archerâ€™s ready room. He was now standing at attention in front of the small desk, avoiding eye contact with the Captain as Archer looked over the Sub-Commanderâ€™s report once again. Archer mused briefly that Trip had never been good at keeping how he felt from his face, but he pushed the thought away as quickly as it had arrived, forcing himself to press on and concentrate on the job in hand.

Archer stood and began to perform his usual pace around the small room, as was his habit when faced with a difficult situation. He referred to the PADD as he spoke, keeping his voice stern but level, and Tripâ€™s posture stiffened even more.

"Tâ€™Pol tells me that when she gave the order to prepare to leave orbit, you countermanded that order. Is that true?"

"Well, yes, Captain. It isâ€¦" 

"She also tells me, that when she tried to give the order again, you had engineering standby to vent the Warp Nacelles, in order to physically prevent the ship from leaving. Is that also true?"

"Yes Sir."

"Would you care to explain your actions to me?" 

Archer was looking at Trip with an almost incredulous expression on his face, studying the man closely. Trip seemed to be about to say some thing, but then changed his mind and closed his mouth again and lowered his gaze slightly.

"Commander?"

"Iâ€™m sorry sir."

Archer felt his anger raise up a notch. He was in front of the desk and toe to toe with the Commander in an instant.

"I didnâ€™t ask you if you were sorry! I asked you to explain your actions!" 

Tripâ€™s head snapped up and he flinched at the look of anger he saw in Archerâ€™s eyes. 

"Now answer the question!" Archer demanded.

A myriad of emotions seemed to cross Tripâ€™s face, until he apparently made a decision. He looked at Archer, and swallowed hard before answering.

"Well, Captain. We all thought she was going to go and leave you on that planet, when we didnâ€™t know what had happened to you. I couldnâ€™t let her throw away our chance of bringing you back to Enterprise."

"She was in command. You had an obligation to follow her orders!"

Defiance rose up in Trip before he could clamp it down.

"She was making the wrong decision _sir_! Or at leastâ€¦ I thought she was. I couldnâ€™t let her do that!" It sounded hollow, even to him. Archer called him on it.

"So you decided that leaving Enterprise with no means of escape, and risking the lives of 82 crewmen, by venting the Nacelles in the middle of a battle was a better decision?"

"Captainâ€¦?!? Iâ€¦" Trip protested, his eyes wide, trying to defend himself, but really at a loss for what to say.

"She was in command, Trip," Archer repeated over Tripâ€™s protest. He was pacing again, anger still evident in his voice. "Your duty was to follow her orders and assist her in carrying out the objectives of the mission, whatever they happened to be at the time. We need Tâ€™Pol on this mission; no matter what you or I may think of the Vulcans or the way they do things. I canâ€™t afford to have my senior officers fighting like children when there is a decision to be made!" 

The hard tone in his voice allowed no argument from Trip and he fell silent, once again unable to meet Archerâ€™s glare, his gaze flicking from his boots to one corner of Archerâ€™s ceiling, and shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"Whatâ€™s going on with you Trip?" Archer demanded. "I know you and Tâ€™Pol have had your differences, but I thought youâ€™d got past that. I thought you had been working together long enough to respect her and trust her decisions?"

"I donâ€™t know sir." Trip said quietly, his gaze lowered to the deck.

Archer stopped pacing again and studied the engineer intently. He allowed the last reserves of his anger to bleed away from him. ' _Almost over_.' 

"Maybe you need to think about your actions before you make them, instead of just worrying about them afterwards. I donâ€™t want to be having this conversation again with you in a few months time. I understand how you feel about this but there are bigger things to consider now Trip. Weâ€™re out here, amongst the stars, the first humans to see some of these things, and there is bound to be times when we both have to learn to let go and leave some things behind. You have to leave behind your attitude and knuckle down when Tâ€™Pol is in command. Sheâ€™s got more experience than any of us Trip. I need to be able to trust that youâ€™ll follow her orders â€“ its what I want you to doâ€¦" 

Archerâ€™s tone was gentler now, quieter. It surprised Trip and he risked a glance at the Captainâ€™s face. It still held its stern expression, but there was something in the manâ€™s eyes that made Trip realise that Archer was speaking to him as his friend now, as well as his Captain, and he finally allowed himself to relax slightly. Archer held Tripâ€™s gaze for a long moment as silent understanding passed between them. 

"Do you understand me Commander?"

"Yes Sir, Captain, I understand."

Archer continued to regard Trip silently, wanting to be sure that he had got through to him. When he was reassured he quietly said, "Then thatâ€™s all I have to say. Dismissed Commander."

After Trip had left the room, his gait lighter than when he had entered it, though his gaze was still lowered, Archer found himself wondering just how long it would be before he had to have this conversation with his impulsive young friend again. 

Shaking his head as if to shake away the thought, he turned to the viewport, and the veil of elongated stars.


	4. Atonement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very tiny spoiler for Breaking The Ice. Thanks to MisterB for advice on "T'Pol-speak".

  
Author's notes: Very tiny spoiler for Breaking The Ice. Thanks to MisterB for advice on "T'Pol-speak".  


* * *

Part Four - Atonement

Trip Tucker walked through the corridors of Enterprise without really noticing where he was going. He was preoccupied with his meeting with Archer, and he had no room to think of anything else. Normally, the Chief Engineer being in such a distracted state would have caused the wheels of the shipâ€™s rumour mill to begin their relentless turning. Fortunately, it was the middle of the night watch, and very few crewmen were going about their business in the lowered light that illuminated the corridors at this hour. As such, the Commanderâ€™s wanderings went largely unnoticed.

Trip had a lot to think about.

Firstly, he felt really bad about making Archer angry with him. The man had a heavy enough burden of command to deal with as Captain of Earthâ€™s first warp-5 starship, without his Chief Engineer and his friend rocking the apple cart. Of course it wasnâ€™t the first time that Archer had been mad at him; Trip had been scolded and lectured more than a few times during the long years of their friendship. He was reassured at the end of their discussion that their friendship was still secure, but he couldnâ€™t remember the Captain being quite this angry with him before.

Then there was the issue of him threatening to vent the Nacelles. What was it that Archer had said? " _So you decided that leaving Enterprise with no means of escape, and risking the lives of 82 crewmen, by venting the Nacelles in the middle of a battle was a better decision?_ " Trip shuddered at the thought of that. If Tâ€™Pol had simply given the instructions again, had called his bluff instead of explaining her orders, would he have gone through with it? He hoped he wouldnâ€™t have. The faces of the Bridge crew sprang to mind, and he realised they must have been thinking he would do exactly that.

Finally, there was Tâ€™Pol herself. Trip knew he should have trusted her. Surely she must have earned that over these past several months? Or at least he should have asked for clarification, before jumping to the first conclusion that had come into his head. He thought of all the run-ins he had had with the Sub-Commander since the beginning of the mission, and tried to work out the best way of handling the situation.

Gradually, Trip came to the realisation that he had stopped walking. He raised his head and looked around him slowly. Dawning recognition of his surroundings made his eyes widen with surprise. His wandering feet had brought him to the door to none other than Tâ€™Polâ€™s quarters.

He reached for the door chime control and then paused, wondering what to do for the best. ' _She may not be awake_ , he considered. ' _It is very late, maybe I should wait for another time_.' Still he hesitated, hand hovering over the control, as slowly he realised that he really did need to face this now, before he talked himself out of it. Get things said and done and moved on. With a feeling of unease in his stomach, Trip took a deep breath, and pressed the chime.

"Enter." 

Trip pressed the control, and the door slid aside to reveal an unusual sight on board a starship, but one that Trip had seen before. Tâ€™Pol sat cross-legged on the deck in the middle of her sparsely decorated quarters, a Vulcan meditation candle burning before her.

"Commander," she acknowledged, as he stepped into the room and allowed the door to close behind him. "What can I do for you?"

If she felt any enmity towards him, she did not display it. Of course, being a Vulcan she had been trained to repress her emotions. He knew he was impulsive, and the core of his conversation with Archer was that heâ€™d lost control so easily. He wondered if there was anything that would ever make the Vulcan lose control of herself. ' _Weâ€™re so different_ ,' thought Trip. ' _Wonder if we'll ever have anything in common_.'

Trip pulled himself away from his thoughts, and assumed a stance that was not quite at attention, his hands clasped firmly behind his back and his feet slightly apart. He looked at the candle momentarily, and inhaled deeply, before making eye contact with the Vulcan.

"I wanted to apologise. I was out of line today, and I shouldnâ€™t have behaved like that. I shouldâ€™ve trusted you, and I didnâ€™t. For that, Iâ€™m sorry."

"You believed I was going to abandon the Captain and take the ship out of orbit." It was more a statement than a question. Obviously she understood.

"It did kind of look that way," Trip admitted awkwardly.

"Your friendship with Captain Archer is very strong. As a result you reacted to an illogical conclusion with an emotional response."

Trip bit his lip and stayed silent, forcing himself to maintain eye contact with Tâ€™Pol.

"Since I have been onboard this vessel, I have observed that the crew is often prone to making emotional outbursts and emotional decisions. They would all benefit from more emotional control, andâ€¦ the application of a little logic in order to make the right decisions in unfamiliar and alien situations," Tâ€™Pol stated evenly, with the characteristic lift of an eyebrow.

Trip couldnâ€™t restrain a small smile. "Does that help?" he nodded to the candle. "With logic? And emotional control?"

"Indeed. Vulcans learned long ago to combat their more, irrational impulses, and to control them. Meditation aids us in the control process. If youâ€™d like I can demonstrate how you can adopt the technique and adapt it to control your moreâ€¦ emotional responses." Tâ€™Pol refocused her attention on the meditation flame. 

"Erm... No! Thanks Sub-Commander," stammered Trip. "I just came to say sorry. Goodnight Sub-Commander." He turned quickly on his heel and let himself out of her cabin, as she watched him leave with her characteristic expression that she reserved for any other fascinating specimen she had encountered.

Once in the corridor, Trip Tucker stood for a long while considering his options. He should really try and get some sleep; it was well past his duty shirt, and the start of his next shift would be upon him all too soon. His mind was now so active however, he wasnâ€™t even sure that he could sleep. So what to do? Finally, motivated by his own need to make amends for his actions, Trip made his decision, and headed for Engineering.


	5. Resolutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny spoiler for Broken Bow. This fic is now finished. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

  
Author's notes: Tiny spoiler for Broken Bow. This fic is now finished. Thanks for joining me on the journey.  


* * *

Part Five - Resolutions

The chime sounded in Jonathan Archerâ€™s quarters just as the Captain was preparing for the day ahead.

"Come in!"

Trip entered and glanced around him, absently tapping the fingers of his right hand against the PADD he was holding in his left. He was more relaxed than when Archer had seen him the previous night, but still not his normal cheery self, and was apparently still slightly uneasy.

"What can I do for you Trip?" Archer prompted, when the Commander remained silent.

Trip stopped tapping his fingers and glanced at the deck, before lifting his gaze to meet Archerâ€™s. He bit his lower lip gently and clasped his hands before speaking.

"I really am sorry, you know, Captain. All I could think of was that she was gonnaâ€™ leave you and I couldnâ€™t let her do that. I know I should have trusted her," he pressed on before Archer could speak. "And, I know I should have thought about what I was doing. Iâ€™ll do better." He shrugged slightly and nodded his head. "Iâ€™m sorry I let you down."

"I know you are Trip," Archer replied. He didnâ€™t even try to keep the smile from his face and eyes, and Trip relaxed. Archer threw a piece of cheese to Porthos and moved towards the door before continuing in mock seriousness, "Donâ€™t let it happen again."

Despite the light tone in Archerâ€™s voice, and the reassurance of his smile, Trip knew better than to take the admonishment less than seriously.

"Aye Captain," he said, returning a trademark grin, and following Archer into the corridor.

The two men had walked a little way toward the Captains Mess, nodding acknowledgements to a few passing crewmembers, before Archer spoke.

"More reports?" He asked, indicating the PADD in Tripâ€™s hands. Trip cleared his throat.

"Iâ€™ve been reviewing the engineering systems. I think we can increase efficiency in a few areas. I know Malcolm wants to upgrade the weapons systems and we really should get round to fixing that scratched paintwork where we dented the hull back in spacedockâ€¦" 

He handed over the PADD and Archer glanced through the contents as Trip continued to speak. The data was very thorough, and it crossed Archerâ€™s mind that his Chief Engineer was trying to atone for his behaviour by working even harder than usual. He glanced across at Trip and wondered if the man had actually gotten any sleep last night. After a moment he decided that he probably hadnâ€™t, and let out an inaudible sigh.

"This is good work Commander," Archer stopped walking, and handed back the PADD. Then, tipping his head slightly to one side, he said with good humour, "I donâ€™t think the paintwork is a priority but, while youâ€™re at it, maybe you should work out a way of venting the Nacelles that doesnâ€™t leave us stuck in one place!"

Trip stood stock still, trying to work out if his friend was being serious or if he really was teasing him. Reassured by the amused look on Archerâ€™s face, he let out the breath he hadnâ€™t realised he was holding and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he felt the colour rising in his cheeks.

Archer chuckled and reached across to pat Trip on the shoulder. "You are allowed to sleep Commander. Thatâ€™s an order."

Trip didnâ€™t answer, and they continued to their destination in companionable silence.

* * *

The two men had been in the Captains Mess for a few minutes, and were chatting over coffee, waiting for the steward to serve breakfast, when the Sub-Commander arrived. Archer watched Trip and Tâ€™Pol carefully for any sign of tension, but was no indication of any animosity between the two officers, and they settled into polite conversation easily enough.

Archer listened as Tâ€™Pol informed them about a protostar that had been detected on scanners earlier that morning, situated within a short detour of Enterpriseâ€™s current course. His attention focused on a PADD, he almost missed Trip, with a wry grin, making an ironic comment on the subject. 

That earned Trip an â€œIndeed,â€ with a raised eyebrow, and what sounded like the beginnings of a lecture, as Archer struggled to keep the small smile from his face.

Reassured that things between his officers appeared to be back to normal, Captain Archer enjoyed the friendly banter, and felt himself relax. He knew that there would be problems along the way, but his crew were getting there. Like that encounter with the woman on that far away planet, those problems would soon be gone, but never forgotten. Tuning out the scene before him, Jonathan Archer allowed himself to melt into the memory of a distant kiss.

* * *

THE END


End file.
